To discuss the buy-worthiness of the top 10 meme stocks, we first need to define what those top 10 meme stocks are.
Of course, there are multiple ways to define the category. For instance, we could put together a list based on some arbitrary measure like the market capitalizations mentioned on Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets.
That would be fine, given that there is no definitive top ten list for meme stocks. However, I want to approach it from a slightly different angle — I’ll be using the list from memestocks.org. This is simply a list of the most memed stocks for the past 24 hours on r/WallStreetBets. The list is refreshed every hour.
So, without further ado, let’s look at the buy-worthiness of these top ten highly mentioned meme stocks.
- United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:X)
- Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)
- AMC (NYSE:AMC)
- GameStop (NYSE:GME)
- Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)
- Palantir (NYSE:PLTR)
- Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY)
- Ford (NYSE:F)
- PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL)
- Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD)
Meme Stocks to Watch: United States Steel Corporation (X)
First up on this list of meme stocks, United States Steel makes a lot of sense given the current environment and incoming infrastructure bill. The argument being forwarded over on r/WallStreetBets relies heavily on that catalyst. It goes like this:
“United States Steel Corporation is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations in the United States and Central Europe […] Hm, isn’t a highly influential person from this area? Isn’t an infrastructure Bill on its way to getting passed?”
Fair enough — obviously, the catalysts are currently in place for United States Steel. Of course, the meme itself was posted about 2 months ago as of this writing, but the points remain relevant. I’ll also add that I agree with this buy-worthy sentiment being discussed in regard to X stock.
Since Reddit first began talking about it, United States Steel posted solid third-quarter results. For the period, sales approached $6 billion. The company also recently transferred the benefit-paying responsibilities for 17,800 of its retiree employees off of its balance sheet. That gives it more operational leeway moving forward.
I’d agree that X stock deserves a buy, especially given the plans in motion.
Tesla (TSLA)
The most important news related to Tesla right now is CEO Elon Musk’s continued selling of the stock. Recently, Musk proposed that he would sell 10% of his TSLA stock after putting up a vote on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR).
So far, Musk has sold off roughly 5 million shares after dumping another 640,000 shares on Nov. 11. If he keeps his promise, the CEO will sell 17 million shares in total, representing 10% of the 170 million shares he owned when he first agreed to the draw down.
Right now, a lot of the conversation on r/WallStreetBets centers on Musk being volatile and the inherent risk he brings to traders. There’s a lot of concern because of that. In fact, many investors have noted that they exited their positions due to his unpredictable behavior.
Since Musk will likely continue to be a contrarian, the CEO will probably keep selling TSLA stock, price be damned. I’d suggest waiting for this one of the meme stocks to drop to its 50-day moving average below $900 before buying any shares.
Meme Stocks to Watch: AMC (AMC)
I’ll get straight to the point with AMC; I definitely don’t think this pick of the meme stocks is a buy. I’d sell it because the bottom is going to fall out sooner or later. This is despite the Reddit crowd continuing to cry “to the moon again soon.”
It’s really simple — don’t be fooled by AMC. It seems like investors were expecting great things from the company when it released earnings on Nov. 8. After all, share prices were rising steadily in the run up to the release. However, for the period, AMC posted a $224.2 million loss on $763.2 million in revenue.
Of course, that requires context in order for us to make any kind of judgment call. Compared to 2020, those results look phenomenal. In Q3 2020, AMC recorded only $119.5 million in revenue, leading to a $905.8 million net loss.
But if we go back to the pre-pandemic era, we can get a clearer picture of AMC. In Q3 2019, the company posted $1.317 billion in revenue, but still posted a net loss of $54.8 million.
There’s little positivity to be taken from any of this. All told, it’s best to stay away from AMC stock.
GameStop (GME)
For GME stock — the next pick on this list of meme stocks — I’m going to start by borrowing some words from fellow InvestorPlace contributor David Moadel. In his piece, Moadel gives a thorough account of the beginning of the meme stock movement, back when retail traders beat Wall Street at their own game.
“In late February […] short sellers who bet against GME stock lost $1.9 billion in two days. By late May […] those shorting Gamestop had sustained a staggering $6.7 billion of losses in 2021 […] Fast-forward to mid-November 2021, and the share price is hovering near $200. GME stock defies technical analysis, just as the Reddit users defy traditional investment principles. The stock goes wherever it wants to, so predicting its path is neither possible nor relevant.”
Moadel has a point; GME stock continues to move unpredictably. There isn’t much else to say here. If you already own shares, it makes sense to hold this pick because it could easily spike again.
Meme Stocks to Watch: Nvidia (NVDA)
Next up on this list of meme stocks is Nvidia. When it comes down to it, I believe NVDA stock is a buy. This is despite the fact that Nvidia’s current share price of $300 is above its median $260 target price.
This company is set to release earnings on Nov. 17 after market close. All indications are that Nvidia should reach approximately $6.83 billion in revenue for the quarter. That will represent a 44.4% increase year-over-year (YOY) from the firm’s $4.73 billion in revenue a year earlier. It’s hard to imagine that investors are going to find much to dislike in those results.
Nvidia has appreciated some 51% over the last three months while the PHLX Semiconductor Index (NASDAQ:SOX) has only risen roughly 16%. This stock is the cream of the crop, not an undeserving beneficiary of some illogical run-up.
Palantir (PLTR)
Perspective is everything in the stock market. To most, when a company beats both internal guidance and Wall Street consensus, it should rise. And in fact, Palantir did beat both its internal guidance and Wall Street consensus in its Q3 earnings. However, the share price dropped anyhow.
Palantir posted $392 million in Q3 revenue, ahead of the $385 million expected within the company and on Wall Street. But the problem was lower than expected government business in the quarter.
That said, I’d ignore it. Firstly, Palantir is already providing bullish guidance of $418 million in revenue for Q4. That’s greater than Wall Street expectations. But the point that’s really worth noting is Palantir is damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
Before, the narrative was that the company was too conservative and dependent on government contracts. Now, it’s problem is that it doesn’t do enough government business. Meanwhile, the firm is posting record numbers and being punished for them.
I think the market will eventually come to its senses on this pick of the meme stocks. PLTR stock is a buy. Don’t let the overly influential voices of a few Wall Street analysts convince you otherwise.
Meme Stocks to Watch: Tilray (TLRY)
Next up on this list of meme stocks is a marijuana play: Tilray. I’d remain wary of TLRY stock right now. Over the past few days, cannabis stocks are up. But that’s a consequence of recent legislative action from the U.S. House of Representatives and little else. Barron’s reported the following as well:
“A House committee last Thursday approved a bill that would require the Department of Veteran Affairs to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic use of marijuana for veterans.”
This all sounds great, but it’s really a footnote that will quickly be forgotten. Soon enough, investors will get back to the same narrative that has plagued Tilray and the cannabis sector at large: revenues aren’t really living up to expectations.
Tilray is expected to grow its revenue base approximately 2.5% between this quarter and the next. Even worse, analysts expect the same $974 million in revenues in 2021 to be unchanged in 2022.
Ford (F)
Next up on this list, play the long game with Ford and F stock. Why? Because — although Ford should contract on a sequential basis between Q3 and Q4 — growth lies ahead. The company’s revenues are predicted to shrink 7.2% to 33.4 billion in Q1 of 2022.
At the same time, though, the company should see revenues move substantially upward in 2022, to roughly $144 billion. That’s a significant increase from the $127 billion expected in 2021.
This company is leaning heavily into the electric vehicle (EV) revolution and expects 40% of sales to come from EVs by 2030. To that end, it has recently increased 2025 electrification spending to $30 billion on the low end.
What’s more, Ford’s F-150 is a perennial best seller. That won’t change this year, as it will be the top-selling vehicle in the United States. But it’s the electric version of the F-150 that investors should also pay closer attention to. Demand has been so high that the company has had to increase its investment to keep up.
All told, this pick of the meme stocks seems to have a bright future moving forward.
Meme Stocks to Watch: PayPal (PYPL)
Next up on this list of meme stocks is PayPal. This company is facing a tough period right now. Of course, that means it’s certainly in the position for contrarian investors to establish a position. But I’d advise against that. PayPal’s overarching problem is a weak outlook for not only the remainder of 2021 but 2022 as well.
Specifically, the company recently announced that it was reducing online payment volume and revenue forecasts for Q4. PayPal also pulled back revenue growth forecasts for 2022 to 18%. That annual forecast was lower than the previous guidance.
As a result, PYPL stock has fallen to a low this year. Payments company stocks aren’t doing well across the board and there’s little to suggest PYPL will buck that trend.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
The last entry on this list of meme stocks, Advanced Micro Devices is in the type of situation where things are so good that the market is worrying if they are too good.
What do I mean? Well, for one, AMD stock is up approximately 65% year-to-date (YTD). On top of that, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:FB) recently named the company as its choice for data centers. Facebook will use AMD’s Epyc central processing units in its centers.
CEO Lisa Su noted that AMD is working with Facebook to support future data center expansions. That suggests AMD could be the chip to power the developing Meta Platforms’ metaverse. All told, it doesn’t make much sense to bet against AMD given that it’s winning hardware contracts and more.
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On the date of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
Alex Sirois is a freelance contributor to InvestorPlace whose personal stock investing style is focused on long-term, buy-and-hold, wealth-building stock picks. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing.